Even with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the near-total shutdown of some sectors of the economy, there are still employers hiring. Certain sectors, such as anything related to health care, may see an increase in hiring. Besides, with many states starting to re-open, employers may be calling back previously laid off workers.

“The problem for those who are hiring, or are re-hiring laid off workers, is how to conduct pre-hire due diligence and background checks when many courts, schools, and businesses are closed – resulting in employers and educational institutions unable to respond to verification requests,” Rosen writes in the whitepaper.

In the whitepaper, Rosen – author of “The Safe Hiring Manual” – discusses how Coronavirus (COVID-19) is becoming the largest accelerator in workplace changes and the steps that employers can take to hire employees effectively even if a background check is not complete. Issues covered in the whitepaper include:

Court closures.

Hiring despite incomplete criminal records.

Using what information is available.

Honesty clauses in offer letters or applications.

Rescreening employees who are called back to work.

Rosen believes these issues will become “self-solving” as the economy opens back up, courts re-open, and employers and schools resume normal operations. “In the meantime, employers cannot stand still just because the system is less than perfect, and the ‘rule of reason’ should apply when making these decisions,” he concludes.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that spreads from person to person. As of May 20, 2020, there are approximately 4.9 million global cases and 323,000 global deaths, while the United States leads the world with approximately 1.5 million cases and 91,000 total deaths, according to research from Johns Hopkins University.